Beginning
Vengeance on Midian and Balaam
31 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for Bnei-Yisrael. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses spoke to the people saying, “Mobilize some of your men for battle. They will go out against Midian to carry out Adonai’s vengeance on Midian. 4 Send into the battle 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.”
5 So from the thousands of Israel 1,000 from each tribe were assigned, 12,000 in all. 6 Moses sent them into battle, 1,000 from each tribe, and with them Phinehas son of Eleazar the kohen, who took with him articles from the Sanctuary and trumpets for signaling. 7 They fought Midian just as Adonai had commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 Among the slain they also killed the Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
9 Bnei-Yisrael also captured women and sons of Midian, along with all their herds and flocks, and plundered all their goods. 10 They burned with fire all the Midianite cities, settlements, as well as all their camps. 11 They seized all the plunder and all the spoil, both people and animals. 12 They brought the captives, plunder and spoils to Moses, Eleazar the kohen and to the assembly of Bnei-Yisrael at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and all the princes of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, those returning from the campaign of the war. 15 Moses said to them, “You let all the women live? 16 Why, they are the ones—because of Balaam’s advice—who caused Bnei-Yisrael to be unfaithful to Adonai in the matter of Peor, so that the plague was on the community of Adonai! 17 So now, kill all the boys and kill every woman who has been intimate with a man. 18 But save for yourselves every girl who has not been intimate with a man.
19 “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched the body of anyone who has been killed must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves, on the third and seventh days—you and your captives. 20 Also purify every item of clothing as well as every item made of leather or wood.”
21 Eleazar said to the men of the army who had gone to war, “This is the regulation of the Torah Adonai gave to Moses: 22 The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, 23 and anything able to pass through fire is to be put through the fire and will then be clean. It is also to be purified with the water of cleansing. Anything that cannot stand the fire is to be put through the water. 24 You are to wash your clothes also on the seventh day. You will then be clean and may then come into the camp.”
25 Adonai said to Moses saying, 26 “Count the total spoil from the captive people and animals—you, Eleazar the kohen and the princes of the fathers of the community. 27 You are to divide the spoil between those fighting in the war, taking part in the battle, and the rest of the community. 28 You are also to set apart from the men of war going into battle tribute to Adonai, one item from every 500, whether persons, cattle, donkeys or flock. 29 From their half share, take and give it to Eleazar the kohen as Adonai’s part. 30 From the half of Bnei-Yisrael, you are to take one in 50, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, flock, or any other animals, and give them to the Levites, those charged with the care of Adonai’s Tabernacle.”
31 So Moses and Eleazar the kohen did just as Adonai commanded Moses. 32 The remaining plunder taken by the people of the army was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and from the human spoil were 32,000 women who had never been intimate with a man.
36 The half share of those going into battle was 337,500 sheep, 37 of which Adonai’s tribute was 675, 38 36,000 cattle, of which Adonai’s tribute was 72, 39 30,500 donkeys, of which Adonai’s tribute was 61, 40 16,000 persons, of which the tribute to Adonai was 32.
41 Moses gave the tribute, Adonai’s part, to Eleazar the kohen just as Adonai had commanded Moses. 42 From the half belonging to Bnei-Yisrael, which Moses had set apart from that of the fighting men, 43 half belonging to the community was: 337,500 of the sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 16,000 persons. 47 From this half, Moses took one out of very 50 persons and animals, as Adonai had commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, those charged with the care of the Tabernacle of Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.
48 Then the officers over the units of the army, the commanders over thousands and hundreds, came to Moses. 49 They said to him, “Your servants have counted the heads of the men of war under our command, and not one is missing. 50 So we have brought as an offering to Adonai the gold items each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces to atone for ourselves before Adonai.”
51 Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from them, all the crafted items. 52 All of the gold presented as a gift to Adonai came to 16,750 shekels from the commanders of thousands and hundreds. 53 Each of the men of the army had taken plunder for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for Bnei-Yisrael before Adonai.
Settling the East Side
32 The sons of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks, and, they saw that the territory of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for livestock. 2 So the sons of Reuben and Gad came and said to Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and the princes of the community saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4 the territory Adonai conquered before the community of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”
5 Then they said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this territory be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”
6 Moses replied to the sons of Gad and Reuben, “Should your countrymen go to war while you dwell here? 7 Why do you dishearten Bnei-Yisrael from going across to the land that Adonai has given to them? 8 Your fathers did this when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, but they discouraged the hearts of Bnei-Yisrael not to enter the land which Adonai had given them. 10 The anger of Adonai was aroused that day, and He swore an oath saying: 11 ‘The men who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, will not see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they have not followed after Me with a whole heart— 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they were wholehearted after Adonai.’ 13 The anger of Adonai burned against Israel and He caused them to wander in the wilderness 40 years until all the generation doing that evil in Adonai’s sight was gone.
14 “Now look, here you stand in the place of your fathers as a brood of sinful men to add more to Adonai’s great wrath against Israel! 15 If you turn away from Him, He will repeat again leaving this people in the wilderness, you being the cause of this people’s destruction.”
16 Then they came up to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our children. 17 But we are prepared to arm ourselves and go ahead of Bnei-Yisrael until we have brought them to their place. Our children will live in the cities fortified against the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each one of Bnei-Yisrael has received his inheritance. 19 Yet we will not inherit with them on the side beyond the Jordan, since our inheritance has come on the east side of the Jordan.”
20 Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves for battle for Adonai, 21 and if all of you cross the Jordan until Adonai has driven His enemies from before Him 22 and the land is subdued before Adonai—then afterward you may return and be free before Adonai and Israel. Then this territory will be your possession before Adonai.
23 “But if you don’t do this, behold, you sin against Adonai! Be assured! Your sin will find you out! 24 Build for yourselves cities for your children and pens for your flocks. Then do what has come out of your mouth.”
25 The sons of Gad and Reuben said to Moses saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord is commanding. 26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all of our herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every one armed for battle, will cross over for the war before Adonai, just as my lord says.”
28 Moses then gave orders about them to Eleazar the kohen, Joshua son of Nun, and to the chiefs of the fathers of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael. 29 Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, everyone armed for battle before Adonai, when the land is subdued before you, then give them the territory of Gilead as a possession. 30 However, if they do not cross over fully armed, they are to possess the land of Canaan with you.”
31 The sons of Gad and Reuben answered saying, “What Adonai has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross fully armed before Adonai into Canaan, but our inheritance will be on this side of the Jordan.”
33 Moses then gave to them—the sons of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan—the land with its cities and the territory around the cities. 34 The sons of Gad built up Dibon, Ataroth and Aroer, 35 as well as Atroh-shophan, Jazer and Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as fortified cities, as well as sheep pens.
37 The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon, (cities whose names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave other names to the rebuilt cities.
39 The sons of Machir son of Manasseh went up to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he lived there. 41 Jair, a son of Manasseh, went and captured their settlements and named them Jair’s Villages.
42 Nobah went and conquered Kenath and its settlements and named them Nobah after his own name.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.